


The Situation

by neverendingworlds



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, But they're still living together, Confessions, Forbidden Love, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Post-Master Course, Romance, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 22:43:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18973996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverendingworlds/pseuds/neverendingworlds
Summary: Masato Hijirikawa and Ichinose Tokiya have a long history of keeping each other's secrets and bonding over certain similarities. 'The Situation', as they call it, binds them together in a way music never could. But it has the potential to complicate matters beyond imagining, potential it is starting to live up to. They meet at the usual time and place to discuss a solution. All does not go to plan.





	The Situation

“Good, you're here,” Masato sighed in relief. The warm water worked well releasing the tension in his shoulders, but only one person could share in the burden upon them. The only living being who understood. Tokiya slipped into the cedar bath with a fluid grace, nodding almost imperceptibly at his companion. Masato continued, brow furrowed and tone grave. “The _situation_ has escalated.”

Steam drifted between the two men, naked as the day they were born; yet utterly disinterested in all but expression and tone, the language they had built together over the years of hushed conversations and late night onsen meetings.

“It has? How so?”

“Jinguuji is...” Masato took a deep breath, a vain attempt to gather his thoughts – thoughts that had long since been scattered across all dimensions, anxious and clawing. Screaming and incoherent. His sat still as stone in the water, submitted to its warmth and weight. The only ripples came from Tokiya's hand skimming across the surface. Unlike the well of feeling within the pianist, surging, ready to destroy the dam he'd built to stop it. But it couldn't, not here, perhaps not ever. Flashes could be show only to Tokiya, who understood. Tokiya who had his own walls, his own currents with which to contend and similar methods. “Jinguuji is convinced that we, you and I, have an... intimate understanding of one and other.”

“Ah. I see.” Tokiya paused, his perfect features set in serious thought until he smiled. Cold and serene. Steam made him seem far away, a demon of ice from some dark and beautiful dream. “Is that better than the truth, or worse?”

“Who can say?” The words tasted bitter, and carried the weight of irony. “He finds every opportunity to bring it up, offering his support and trying to elicit details. I deny it, of course...” He denied it forcefully, affronted at first. How could Jinguuji dream up such a fantasy? The two were too similar to be truly compatible, too reticent and reserved to bring out their true selves in entirety. It was foolishness. And proof. Jinguuji, Ren, had not given up on the belief Masato was in love despite pretending he had for a time. When Masato had protested the notion of Haruka enough, Jinguuji insisted it must be Tomochika, other classmates, a producer or two. When there were no other options, and a trail of clandestine meetings and looks of shared confidence to lead the way... Tokiya was a natural conclusion. That didn't stop Masato from loathing that his roommate had come to it, and the teasing that accompanied it. _'Who would have thought, the prudish Hijirikawa writing his love songs for a man! Heh. I've always known, you know. You've been in the closet so long the moths are eating you, so I tried to humour you but this Icchi thing, it's too obvious.'_

The memory grated at his sanity, and would eventually build into a Jinguuji-centric pressure headache if he didn't stop replaying the words, over and over. He was infinitely grateful for the company to distract him, even if the subject was the same.

“Otoya suspects the same, I think. He's trying very hard not to be sad about it.” Tokiya's voice was laced with shared melancholy, the only true intimacy between them. It had been hard not to notice Ittoki putting on a smile that hardly reached his eyes. The way his notes wavered, his steps seemed sallow. Tokiya sighed. “We've been meeting too often.”

A crack in the dam, anger spurted through and hardened deep blue eyes, soured Masato's expression. He caught his reflection in the water, ferocious. Furious. Devastated.“Why now?” A rough edge stripped the control from his voice, though he kept enough to keep the tears from his eyes. “We've kept it under control for so long... And I...” _Cannot bear the hurt in Jinguuji's eyes as he says he is happy for me, the pain behind the teasing he thinks I am unable to see_. The words hung in the air unsaid, choking him like a thick fog. He didn't need to say them. One of the reasons he loved his confidence with Tokiya so: synergy, resonance.

Their thoughts drifted to the same place, sure as the steam hit the ceiling. The two looked at each other, really looked. Tokiya spoke first, sweet voice as melodic and distant as ever. It was easy to see why Ittoki had fallen in love with him, with the elegance of his logic and the life in his ice-blue eyes. Sharp, intelligent, fearsome. Masato remained grateful they were neither rivals or lovers. 

“Haruka and Cecil are growing closer. Kotobuki-senpai seems engaged with his groupmates in a new way, and Shining is well aware, unopposed. Quartet Night has survived it so far. Perhaps-” Tokiya paused, leaving the space for his partner in crime to finish as he always could. 

-it is time.” Masato flinched as he spoke the necessary words. “To do as we said we never should. Our feelings have not changed in two years...”

Tokiya raised his eyebrows, speaking softly yet firmly. “Respectfully, you're wrong. They have changed. They've grown.”

Masato nodded, unable to argue. Unwilling. Silence consumed them both for a time, only the distant sound of running water and muffled conversation left to fill the room. It wasn't as if there was a lot to think about, the path they walked could lead to two places. A risk of resentment and broken hearts for a well-planned future, or a chance at happiness whatever the cost. And however practical they were, neither could crush the hearts in their hands. It was only a matter of time, only a matter of who admitted it first.

“So the situation... resolves?” Masato half stated, not willing to be entirely certain. 

“Yes. We resolve it. And report back, same time. Next week.” 

“Next week?!” Masato spluttered, unflappability more than stripped away by the thought of action so soon. Tokiya had no such reservations after making up his mind, but that was hardly a surprise. Their personalities had differences, of course they did. Masato could suffer far longer, could suffer much worse in deeper silence if it were for the sake of another and not himself. He had untold strength but the instinct never reveal it, even if it drove those around him mad. Whereas Tokiya was more brittle, driven to perfection and selfish because of it, but bolder than Masato could dream of being. 

“Better not to hesitate, now that our course is set.” Tokiya's hand drifted through the water as he spoke, making waves. “We know what the outcome we want is, and that we have a chance of striving towards it.”

Of course, Tokiya had a much better chance. An infinitesimal chance of failure if one judged by the way Ittoki's eyes lit up each time he saw his roommate, and the way the redhead always ran straight to Tokiya whenever there was trouble. Jinguuji... Jinguuji was another story. There was enough animosity, enough misunderstanding and resentment between them to set any peace offering alight. Jinguuji was a prideful man, prideful enough to spite Masato despite his feelings. Or because of them.

Yet, things could only get worse if the truth remained unsaid. Jinguuji would only become more incorrigible, more determined to find the answer to the mystery of Hijirikawa, to get under his skin. 

“You're right. Of course you're right. Thank you very much for your clarity, Ichinose-san.” Masato paused corrected himself. Even though the other had requested it, it was still difficult. Even if it was only in private. Even if, he'd come to think of him so fondly in their comradeship.“Tokiya.”

Tokiya smiled. Pure, true and filled with heart. The rareness of it all made it all the sweeter, all he more meaningful.“No, thank you. It has been a blessing, not suffering alone. And now, we break free together.” It reached the pianist's heart, and he couldn't help but smile in return, however brief.

Masato made a deep noise of agreement, and the two brothers-in-arms shared a look. They were breaking their chains, freeing their feelings. Going to war, to the possible destruction of all they held dear.

They stood in unison, bodies obscured by a rush of steam; words lost to the sound of moving water as they climbed from the tub, warm air charged with a new tension that had Masato's skin rippling with goosebumps. A spell of dizziness hit him, of fatigue and possibility.

“Let's do our best.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's midnight, and like magic my first UtaPri fic has come forth from my fingers in a fit of inspiration I did not ask for but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. This is actually my first fanfic in a very long time, ahhh, but after watching the Original Resonance episode of s3 I was so charmed by the two most reserved members of STARISH and their interactions and the support of their friend and the gay. All the gay. Ren/Masa, Otoya/Tokiya, Tokiya/Masa, all of it.
> 
> The plan is three to write three chapters, but things don't always go as planned, like Masato and Tokiya will soon discover!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Thank you for reading :D


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